


Asking For Her Hand

by tqpannie



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fluff, Post-War, Romance, The Quidditch Pitch: Eternity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-03-04
Updated: 2008-03-04
Packaged: 2018-10-25 08:20:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10760373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tqpannie/pseuds/tqpannie
Summary: Ron goes to visit Mr. Granger to ask permission to marry Hermione.





	Asking For Her Hand

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Annie, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Quidditch Pitch](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Quidditch_Pitch), which went offline in 2015 when the hosting expired, at a time I was not able to renew it. I contacted Open Doors, hoping to preserve the archive using an old backup, and began importing these works as an Open Doors-approved project in April 2017. Open Doors e-mailed all authors about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact us using the e-mail address on [The Quidditch Pitch collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thequidditchpitch/profile).
> 
>  **Author's notes:** Basically I heard this song [Stealing Cinderella](http://www.kovideo.net/lyrics/c/Chuck-Wicks/Stealing-Cinderella.html). However the idea is just from the song this is not a song fic.  
>  Thanks to [](http://simons-flower.livejournal.com/profile)[**simons_flower**](http://simons-flower.livejournal.com/) and [](http://madam-minnie.livejournal.com/profile)[**madam_minnie**](http://madam-minnie.livejournal.com/) for the beta read through. Many many chocolate frogs to you. [](http://deena-s.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://deena-s.livejournal.com/)**deena_s** see I write het!

I admit it, I have been scared a few times in the past – but not even Aragog scares me as much as this.

What is this, you ask? Well I've been pacing outside Hermione's parent’s house for about twenty minutes now. I really can't believe her dad hasn't seen me…or maybe he has and he's making me suffer. Yeah, I reckon that’s it because I'm feeling a strong wave of dislike coming from the house. Bloody hell, he's never liked me not from the moment I helped Hermione move into her own flat. He's always questioning me – Ron how's the shop doing? Ron are you still living at the Burrow? Merlin, if he knew I moved into Hermione's flat two months ago he'd probably come after me with one of those Muggle guns.

I'm going to knock on the door any moment now and my entire life is going to change. Now mind you it will be for the better – if I live through the next few moments. I mean, honestly, I doubt he'll say no – not that Hermione would listen if he did but I haven't asked her yet so.... Yeah, I'll just wipe my palms on my trousers, square my shoulders, and march right up to their door and insist on having a moment of Mr. Granger's time.

My legs are shaking as I stride to the front door and I can't help but wonder why everything like this is so much easier for Harry. I pause at the bottom of the steps and take a deep breath – I mean all Harry did was go to my dad and say, "I'd like to marry Ginny." My dad grinned, shook his head, and said, "About time." This...thing... with Hermione's dad is going to be harder.

I force my feet to move, taking one step at a time, and take another shaky breath. I mean, I'm sure they still associate me with all the danger Hermione was in back in school. I know her Mum knows how many times I made Hermione cry in sixth year and she probably told Mr. Granger – yeah, that would explain all the dirty looks I've gotten from Mr. Granger.

The knock on the door seems to reverberate in my ears and the door swings open before I'm completely ready to face **him**.

"Ron." Mr. Granger eyes me up and down and I almost want to squirm under his gaze. "You managed to beat Hermione this time."

"Well, sir, you see, that is," I stammer and feel the blush starting at the tips of my ears. "I reckon I wanted a moment of your time before Hermione gets here."

He holds the door open and I step inside. I've always liked the foyer – I wonder if this would be a good place to have this "talk". I mean it's close to the door and if I need to escape, this would be a good way to get out of the house quickly. Not that I couldn't Apparate if I wanted to but I'd probably wind up splinching myself. I'm as nervous as Crookshanks around the recliner – well as he's only nervous since I caught his tail in the seat cushions but that was an accident. Hold on, Mr. Granger is talking to me.

"Ron, you don't look well," Mr. Granger said as he smacked my shoulder, harder than necessary if you ask me, but he's still talking and I'm going to have to respond. "How about we have a nice spot of tea and you can tell me what's on your mind."

"All right. Do you need help with the tea?" My voice sounds shaky to my own ears and I swallow hard. "That is to say I'm quite good at making tea – my mum always says tea cures everything."

Mr. Granger chuckles and steers me towards the sitting room, "Have a seat and I'll be back in a moment with a cuppa."

I manage to nod at Mr. Granger but I find myself unable to sit down. Beads of sweat break out on my forehead and wonder again if having Harry do this for me might not have been a bad idea. They seem to like Harry well enough. Mr. Granger is always so bleeding pleasant to him. I stroll around the room and begin pacing in front of the fireplace. From the corner of my eye I catch a glimpse of a much younger Hermione and immediately stop pacing to glance at the picture. It isn't one I've ever seen and I can't help but smile at the image in front of me. Hermione must have been about six years old, her hair was a total wreck, with an apple in one hand, a book in the other, and her nose wrinkled in concentration.

I couldn't help but notice there were more pictures scattered about the room and I moved to the next one. It was a picture of Hermione at the beach – it looked to be the summer of third year, the one where she came back from France all tan. I've never told her that I had my first naughty dream about her while we were staying at The Leaky Cauldron. She had breasts and when she hugged me in Diagon Alley there was no mistaking that my best mate was really a girl. Harry hadn't even seemed to notice when we found him eating ice cream, but I definitely noticed and hated her for being a girl and making me feel things that no boy should feel about their best friend.

I smile as I stroll to the next photograph, pondering how different they are from Wizarding photos, and I actually laugh out loud at the next one. It's Hermione in a bubble bath. She must be about eight; she's got bubbles in her hair, and on her nose. She was grinning, her front teeth were missing, and I briefly wonder who'd taken that picture and if I could get a copy.

The next picture was Hermione, slightly older, and all dressed up. It appeared she was dancing with her dad, her feet on his, and once again her face was screwed up in concentration. The next photo was Hermione in the same dress but she was looking up at her dad and he was looking down at her.

I jumped when I heard someone clear their throat and whirled to find Mr. Granger setting the tea pot and two mugs on the table.

"She's quite a girl," Mr. Granger picked up a photo from the end table. "Always a bit of a handful."

"She's a wonderful woman," I chuckled and took a seat across from Mr. Granger. "She's more than a bit of a handful – definitely stubborn."

Mr. Granger looked confused for a moment and glanced down at the picture of Hermione. I'm not always the most astute bloke but I put myself in his shoes for a moment and saw Hermione from his point of view. She would always be that little girl in the bubbles, always be the girl on the beach, and until the day he died she would always be the young woman dancing on his feet.

"So you wanted to talk to me?" Mr. Granger sighed as he put the picture down. "I've actually been expecting this."

I run a hand through my hair before reaching for my tea. I take a sip and nervously shift in my seat.

"Today is mine and Hermione's anniversary." My tea cup shakes as I raise it to my lips. "I would very much like your permission to ask Hermione...that is, to say, I love Hermione and I want to marry her."

Mr. Granger leans back and stares at me. I can't read anything from watching him and when he leans forward again I nearly jump and run away.

"Today's your anniversary?" He arches an eyebrow and the resemblance to Hermione is rather uncanny. "On Halloween?"

"Well, it's the anniversary of when Harry saved her from the troll and we became friends, so we usually celebrate it and I thought it would be a good time to ask her to marry me and make up for that whole calling her a nightmare thing."

"You called her a nightmare eleven years ago and you're still apologizing?" Mr. Granger asks, his voice steady and even. "Haven't you apologized before?"

"Numerous times." I sip my tea. "However, every time she wants something from me I get reminded how I called her a nightmare back in first year."

Mr. Granger laughs. "She's very much like my Emily that way. I once burned the toast and I've never been allowed back in the kitchen again."

Our eyes meet and, for a moment, understanding hangs between us. I realize he still hasn't given me permission but before I can speak, he holds up his hand.

"Ron, the way I understand it from Hermione is that you're the one who knocked out the troll. She was always telling us that you drove her completely mad but then you'd turn around and do something to protect her or something totally opposite of how you usually behaved. I have to say you had her in a real tizzy the first six years of school."

"She drove me mad," I confess. "Still does but I do want to spend the rest of my life letting her drive me mad. I know you don't care much for me but – and I'm not what you expected for your daughter."

Mr. Granger calmly sips his tea and studies me over the brim of the cup. He smiles, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards, and he raises his cup to me.

"Actually, Ron, you're exactly what I expected for my daughter. You're able to draw her out of her shell, make her laugh, and you'd do just about anything for her. If it appears that I haven't liked you – well, you'll be a father someday and someday some boy is going to steal your little girl away and you'll know what I'm feeling."

"I think I drive her crazy more than anything else," I say softly as release spreads through me. "But she says she loves me."

Mr. Granger extends his hand and I shake it. "So you're taking Hermione off our hands?" Mr. Granger winks. "I'll say to you the same thing Hermione's grandfather said to me when I asked to marry Emily: you're a brave, brave man, Ronald Weasley. Welcome to the family."

I laugh and the front door flies open. I hear Hermione in the entrance hall, and when she speaks, I share a look with Mr. Granger.

"Dad," Hermione calls out. "I brought over some books for you and Mum on Russia. I do think that would be the best choice and, truthfully, if I put another book on the shelves at home Ron is going to make fun of me."

"She has twenty-five bookcases at her flat," I whisper. "She can't possibly need six copies of _Hogwarts, a History_!"

Mr. Granger laughs and goes to meet Hermione. I take one last look at the pictures in the room and pick up the one he was holding. It's a picture taken in Diagon Alley just after we met Hermione in second year. Hermione and I are looking more than slightly uncomfortable standing next to each other and Hagrid is there with his hands on our shoulders forcing us together.

I smile before setting the picture down and making my way back into the foyer. Now I just have to ask Hermione. As I watch her hug her dad, I feel a tug in my heart. I almost feel bad for him but as he said somewhere down the road I'll be going through the same thing.

That's if I live through tonight. Blimey, I still have to propose.


End file.
